


Don't 'Boss' Me

by talonyth



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Office, I have no idea, M/M, and yes this is a re-upload, russian translation of this included in the notes!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-16
Updated: 2014-09-16
Packaged: 2018-02-17 16:45:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2316506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/talonyth/pseuds/talonyth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hinata's working as an intern and all is well - except he can't deal with his ever-grumpy boss who turns out to be a lot different from what he originally expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't 'Boss' Me

**Author's Note:**

> yeah don't say anything, you've seen this around before. i uploaded, i deleted it because i felt like it was the biggest failure and now re-uploaded for completion's sake. besides, i kinda wanted to make some chapters for this but seeing as this is p dumb, i don't know if i really will. i hope you can enjoy it, even if it's just a little!
> 
> there is also a russian translation of this fic [here](http://ficbook.net/readfic/2384155) by [greenlonelystranger](http://greenlonelystranger.tumblr.com)! make sure to check it out if you enjoy reading in russian more!

It’s been two weeks ever since Hinata has started working in a rather large company for interior designs. It isn’t exactly his career of choice; but having failed to get into college and his dad kindly finding this internship for him so he would still have a chance at a decent future, it’s not like he really has a choice. And no matter how he looks at it, he is treated nicely by the rest of the employees. Perhaps because they all seem rather young themselves? 

"So, what I was saying; you know I went to this meeting yesterday with this client of ours," Sugawara says and he wears an expression of glee on his face. He always does when he talks about weird occurences with clients which happen once too often to him. When Hinata first met him on his first day, he looked like such a pleasant contrast to the actual boss of the company. He only remembers a grumpy face scowling at him and shudders right away, barely listening to what Sugawara says. 

"—-so he went right ahead and got this incredibly expensive couch like it was nothing. I’ve never experienced something like this, I mean… have you ever met people as bold as this," he asks and Hinata stares at him until he is met with a chuckle. "You didn’t listen, did you?"

Hinata’s face boils red - how disrespectful not to listen - but Sugawara pats his shoulder softly. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it! So, what’s been bothering you? Should I come and help you out after our break is over?”

Ah yes. How it always goes. Hinata almost feels ashamed that he hasn’t gotten to understand how everything works already. He sometimes feels more like a burden but like hell he will give up. 

"N-No… not really, I think I can manage. I was just… you know, wondering. It would be better if you would be the boss. I mean, you know how everything works and I see you taking care of everyone more often than our actual boss, you know?"

He looks up and notices that Sugawara’s smile changed. It seems softer but also… huh, Hinata can’t really tell. A little lonely, maybe? 

"Ah, I don’t think you should say that, Hinata. He has his fair share of work, too. I know he can seem a little rough but he’s not a bad person."

Hinata raises an eybrow and wonders. He is sure he heard that their boss is younger than most of the employees here but hasn’t heard about the reason. It must mean he’s really great if he can run a company full with people older than him and having them under control? Perhaps he is like a crazy genius and that’s why he never shows his face around. 

"I guess. He still seems super stuck-up, though. You know, always wearing this grim expression and he looks so scary and—-"

He looks at Sugawara’s face changing slightly, his eyes looming behind Hinata and he feels a shudder run down his spine. Oh oh. Oh no would probably be more fitting. 

"….He’s standing right behind me, isn’t he?" Hinata asks, and his voice is trembling slightly because it’s only been two weeks and he probably will get fired faster than he can say lucifer dogfish. 

"Yes, I am," he hears a cold voice saying and this is positively the most embarrassing and worst thing that has happened to Hinata and there a lot of these instances throughout his life. He is done for. Absolutely. 

"Sir, I’m—-" he starts and whips around to meet his boss’ glare. He seems… a lot less angry than Hinata thought but then he always looks angry by default so maybe the effect is weakened. 

"Don’t ‘sir’ me. You know my name and you know how to address me."

His blue eyes stare at him so sharply that Hinata needs to look away when he nods. “Y-Yeah… I’m sorry, Kageyama-san…”

Kageyama sighs and rubs his eyes. Sleepy? Is he like this because he is tired? That would actually make sense, his dad used to be a lot grumpier too when he was tired. 

"I heard you are good with computers, fixing them and all," Kageyama says and Hinata doesn’t know whether it is because he might have found a reason for it but his face doesn’t look that scary anymore.

"Ah, yeah. I did that during high school a lot. Can I help out?"

"Yes, it seems like my computer refuses to turn on and I would need to get some things done as quickly as possible. It’s unfortunate that—-"

"I’ll do it!" Hinata exclaims and jumps up the seat, waving Sugawara goodbye. 

Kageyama seems taken aback at his fast response but leads the way. When Hinata saw Kageyama the first time, he remembers thinking he doesn’t want to do the job after all. It turns out he didn’t talk that much, Sugawara and Sawamura, another really nice now-colleague of Hinata’s who seemed like the most reliable throughout the company, took over the interview. Maybe Kageyama is just not good with people. 

"So, what is the problem? Could you tell me some more details about what happened?" Hinata asks as he catches up to Kageyama’s speedy steps. He feels kind of out of place, is what Hinata has always thought. Sure, slicked back hair and wearing a suit but he doesn’t look like he belongs here. Even the steps are out of pace as everyone else seems to have a slower tempo. 

"I don’t know. I wouldn’t have called you if I knew how to solve this problem myself," Kageyama replies and there it is again, the tone is razor sharp. He is probably still angry at the situation from before. 

…Actually he hasn’t reprimanded him for it at all, Hinata realizes. He didn’t say a thing about it. But he’s the boss, he could have made a fuss and thrown him out. He’s just an intern, not even an employee. It makes Hinata think about what Sugawara said earlier about Kageyama. 

"Ah, yeah, sure. I’m sorry. I will look into it," he replies as they enter Kageyama’s office and he is left with surprise at how empty it is. For having an office, that is. He is sharing a desk with two other interns who also happen to be very nice and his age, but they work in different departments so he barely ever sees them. As for the others, he knows that Sugawara and Sawamura share an office and it looks a lot different than this one. 

"Are you done investigating?"

Hinata jolts and damn it, he got side-tracked again. It is so hard to deal with Kageyama even though he might be one of the only persons he ever thought this about. Perhaps because he never had a boss before. Or perhaps because he simply doesn’t get him. 

"Ah, I wasn’t—— I mean, I apologize," he says as he runs up to the desk which is less empty than the room. Actually, it is all cluttered with paperwork and all things Hinata figures the interns could easily handle. He’s probably just too proud to let someone else handle it. 

"Ah, can I sit down?" 

He gestures to Kageyama’s desk chair and looks into a face of confusion. 

"Of course? Just get this done fast," Kageyama says and meekly adds, "Please."

"Will do!"

Hinata smiles and sits down, turning on the computer which, of course, doesn’t turn on as Kageyama had said. He tries it again but it still doesn’t work and as such he crawl under the desk. What an old device, it is probably 10 years old by now. No wonder it might have given up. But there might still be a chance to save it. 

"Uh, Kageyama-san, do you happen to have a tool kit here? Or maybe just a screwdriver?"

"There should be one in the upper drawer of the desk. I hope it has the right size?"

Hinata opens said drawer and grabs the screwdriver. “Yeah, it’s good,” he says and lifts the computer slightly to open the lid. 

It is not like he expected to chatter away with his boss of all people but the silence surrounding them is crushing and Hinata opens his mouth to say something, albeit he figures it might be stupid, but Kageyama speaks first. 

"So… uh, Hinata. You have been working here for a little more than two weeks, yes?"

Frankly, Hinata has been a little startled by Kageyama’s initiation but it’s not a bad thing. He is surprised he even remembers his name. 

"Yeah, right!"

"How do you like it, so far?"

"Mmmm," Hinata ponders as he looks over the various tiles within the computer, all definitely worn out by now. "I feel good here. My colleagues are really nice and the work is mostly fun. It can be stressful but it wouldn’t be work otherwise."

There is a long pause before Kageyama replies. “I see.”

Seems like the conversation is over here, he thinks. Or maybe not. 

"You see, I was kind of reluctant to come here at first," and Hinata tries to stop himself because this is not what he should tell his boss of all people, not when he is planning on staying here at least, "because my dad found me this internship. I was too dumb for college, it seems, so I needed to find some place to work."

He swears he hears Kageyama snort and peeks over the desk but his boss stands there unmoved. Maybe he imagined it. 

"But now I think it was the right decision. Sure, this is not exactly what I had imagined to be doing in my future but it’s better than having nothing. And I’m really feeling good here."

His hands hover over the CPU fan and damn, it is dusty as hell. 

"That’s a good thing," Kageyama replies and his voice sounds uncharacteristically soft. "Things barely ever work out as we imagine them as kids."

"I guess so. Though you are not that much older than me, are you? It’s incredible that you are running a company at your age."

He carefully removes the fan and pulls a face at it, standing up and opening a window. 

"I’m not exactly running the company, though. It’s just the name, really. I took over for my father since he has fallen ill but I’m barely doing anything. It’s mostly Sugawara-san and Sawamura-san handling the company matters and Azumane-san leading the creative department. Tanaka-san and Nishinoya-san are supporting me in structuring the active selling of our products by hiring salesmen and taking care of them. So… I’m not exactly running anything."

Hinata listens carefully because this is really a one-time chance and he figures now that Kageyama is definitely not a boss. None would say something like this to a mere intern. But it’s okay, he finds himself feeling a lot easier around him now. He stretches the fan out of the window and—-

"Hey, don’t throw that out of the window!"

Hinata jolts at Kageyama’s voice and turns around quickly, clutching onto the fan. “Wha—- no, I’m not! I’m just cleaning it! It would be bad if all the dust would be scattered throughout the office though so I thought—-“

"Oh." There is an awkward moment of silence in which they look at each other, Kageyama breaking the eye contact first. "I-I didn’t know."

Hinata snorts and nods. “Obviously.”

"Don’t think you can get cocky just because I told you about how I’m not a boss. I can still get your ass thrown out."

Hinata presses his lips together and for a moment, really, he might have felt a little too comfortable. Weird, considering just a few minutes ago he was so tense that everything could have given him a heartattack. 

"S-Sorry," he mutters and resumes his cleaning work. 

A minute of silence passes again and this time it is Hinata starting up the conversation. 

"So, u-um, h-how long have you been working here?"

Smooth. What a stupid question. 

"I started working here when I was in second year of high school, still. Back then just on the weekends to help out every now and then since it was my father’s business. He got ill by the end of my third year in high school so that is when I started working over the week too. I still somehow managed to graduate and immediately came here. That’s when my father quit for good because his condition didn’t get any better and I took over. By name, at least. So… I’ve been working here for at about 5 years now."

He had so much responsibility when he was the same age as him right now. So he is at about 21 or 22 right now? That’s not a very big difference between them. It makes Hinata think why he seems so much more mature than him. Maybe because he started so early. 

"I see… that sounds stressful, actually. Doesn’t sound like you had a lot of free time during high school."

"Not really. I had to quit all after school activities because of it too," he says and he sounds genuinely bitter. Now Hinata is not one to pry but he is interested and Kageyama doesn’t seem to be as stuck up as he originally thought he would be. 

"Ah, what did you do? I was in a volleyball club!" Hinata says, possibly saying things about himself might motivate Kageyama to talk about it too. 

"…Heh, what a coincidence," is the reply followed by a chuckle. "Me too."

Hinata turns his head around fast, so fast he almost gets dizzy. 

"For real!? W-What, that’s cool! Everyone I meet is always like basketball or baseball or art or that but I haven’t met anyone having volleyball at school too! What position did you play on!" 

Now he sees it, Kageyama is grinning and it does look like he is making fun of him but Hinata feels like he starts to warm up for real now. As he thought, the way to people’s hearts is definitely volleyball. He told his mum so but she didn’t want to believe it. 

"I used to be a setter. What about you? Judging from your height, it would be——"

"Not a libero! I was middle blocker!" he quickly says. Judging from your height my ass. Not everyone can be tall. Kageyama looks at him in surprise. 

"Ah? Well, could work as a decoy. Like that?"

"Yup! Spot on, I’m amazed," Hinata says and the fan seems clean enough now. It will hopefully make the ancient thing work or the entire time has been wasted on nothing. 

When he turns around, Kageyama looks different from before. There is no grin or stern face, he… looks sad. In a span of maybe not even half an hour, Hinata has seen too many different sides of a person he was dead afraid of and he doesn’t know whether to be grateful or feel overwhelmed. Perhaps both. 

"I wish I could play," he simply says and it makes Hinata’s heart sink right to the ground. He remembers himself saying that, too. And he understands now what Kageyama meant when he said things barely work out. He never told anyone, not even his parents but a part of him had hoped he would get scouted. And if not, that he might go to a college with a good volleyball team. None of those happened. 

"…Hey boss. We should play some time. We could ask the others if they want to come along so we’ll have a full team. I always used to play with my friends who didn’t even know the rules of volleyball and it was still fun."

"Don’t ‘boss’ me."

Hinata crouches down and puts the fan back in, closing the lid and dusting off his hands. It doesn’t mean no, right? And everyone here seems nice enough to go out for a company trip of some sort. 

"…And I’ll think about it."

Hinata’s face lightens up as he stands up and he nods furiously almost. 

"I’ll ask them if they want to!"

"I said I’ll—"

"I’m sure they’ll agree to it! To strengthen the company bonds!"

"Hinata—-"

"Then I can play again! And you can play too! That would be amazing! Please, boss!"

Kageyama stares at him hard but it doesn’t seem hostile and Hinata feels unable to deflate. The prospect of playing is too appealing and he feels like Kageyama thinks the same as he averts his eyes, rubbing them and he thinks he might see him tear up a bit. 

"Uh… is that… a reason to cry, bo—-"

"I said don’t ‘boss’ me. And I’m not crying, I’m not used to my contacts yet. They fucking burn."

Hinata doesn’t know if it is a bad excuse or true although he remembers seeing Kageyama wearing glasses so it might not be a lie. He turns on the computer - and it works. 

"Ohhh, I fixed it. Now that was considerably easy," he says as he looks at the Welcome screen. "You should still consider getting a new one though, this one probably won’t last much longer."

Kageyama walks up to his side, his eyes are still teary and grumbles. 

"Maybe after our trip."

Hinata doesn’t want to believe his ears but it resounds and he blinks excitedly. 

"Does that mean—"

"Ask around. I’ll see when I can arrange something like that. I guess, as a noisy intern said, it strengthens the company bonds. Or something like that. ….Good work today."

The smile on Hinata’s face doesn’t cease, not even when Kageyama glares at him for being in such a good mood, not even when the praise sounds kind of awry and he leaves the office with a good feeling and suddenly not getting scouted and not getting into college seem like a blessing to him as long as he can stay here.


End file.
